Disposable nested reflectors for lighting fixtures



F C. T. FALK May 9, 1967 DISPOSABLE NESTED REFLECTORS FOR LIGHTINGFIXTURES Filed Jan. 25, 1965 INVENTOR. C how/es T. Fa/k United StatesPatent ()fiice 3,319,062 Patented May 9, 1967 3,319,062 DISPOSABLENESTED REFLECTORS FOR LIGHTING FIXTURES Charles T. Falls, PrairieVillage, Kane, assignor to Hesse Carriage Company, Kansas City, M0,, acorporation of Missouri Filed Jan. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 427,752 7 Claims.(Cl. 24ll1il3) This invention relates to light fixtures and, moreparticularly, to a disposable reflector for such a fixture.

In industrial plants and other establishments the lower faces of thelight reflectors of overhead. light fixtures need to be cleaned atperiodic intervals in order for the reflector to be effective. Somelight fixtures are spaced a considerable distance above a workingsurface and beyond the reach of a workman standing on the surface.Hence, some difficulty is encountered each time the reflectors of suchfixtures need to be cleaned not only because time and effort is requiredto clean the reflectors, but a workman must stand on an elevatedplatform in order to accomplish this task.

The present invention provides structure which eliminates having toclean reflectors of light fixtures of the aforesaid character and, tothis end, a plurality of nested reflector elements are coupled to alight fixture in a dispositive such that the outer reflector elementeffectively replaces the main reflector unit of the fixture. When theouter reflector element requires cleaning it is merely removed fromnested relationship with the other reflector elements and the nextadjacent outermost element then is disposed in light-reflectingrelationship to the light source of the fixture.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present in vention toprovide replacement reflectors for a light fixture which would eliminatethe problem of cleaning the main or primary reflector thereof.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision :ofa pluralityof nested reflectors which can be coupled to the main or primaryreflector of a light fixture in a disposition such that the outermostreflector of the nested group serves as the reflector for the fixtureand the nested reflectors can be removed one-by-one from the fixturewhen cleaning of the outermost reflector is required.

Yet another object of this invention is the provision of a nestedreflector assembly of the type described wherein the reflectors of theassembly can be removed one-byone from a light fixture by means of atool or the like manipulated by a workman standing at a location remotefrom the fixture.

A further object of the present invention is the provision ofreplacement reflector means which can be utilized with existing lightfixtures without modifying the same.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of a light fixture taken along line1-1 of FIG. 2 and illustrating a plurality of nested reflector elementsassociated with an overhead light fixture; and

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the light fixture and reflector elementswith the light source of the fixture removed.

The present invention is directed to a light source having a concave,downwardly facing reflector member provided with means mounting a lightsource, such as a light bulb or the like, thereon. A plurality of nestedreflector elements, complemental to the reflector member of the fixture,are disposed within the latter and in lightreflecting relationship tothe light source coupled with the mounting means on the reflectormember. A retainer releasably secures the group of nested reflectorelements on the fixture, the retainer including a sleeve of rigidmaterial having a continuous flange engaging the inner periphery of thelower or outermost reflector element. The sleeve is carried by thesource and, in the case of a conventional light bulb, surrounds the neckportion of the bulb so as not to interfere with the light transmittingcapabilities thereof.

Light fixture 10 includes a main or primary reflector member 12 having ahousing 14 for containing a socket 16 which threadably receives the base18 of a conventional light bulb 20. Reflector member 12 has atransversely arcuate, light-reflecting, inner surface 22 in partiallysurrounding relationship to bulb 20 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

A stack 24 of nested reflector elements 26 is coupled to the assemblycomprised. of reflector member 12 and bulb 20. Each element 26 issubstantially complemental to inner surface 22 of member 12 and isformed from a yieldable material capable of reflecting light, such assheet aluminum or aluminum foil. Each element has a central opening 28and a number of slits 30 extending toward the outer periphery thereofand terminating a short distance outwardly of the opening 28 thereof asillustrated in FIG. 2.

A retainer 32 in the nature of a sleeve 34 is carried by the neck 36 ofbulb 20 and has a continuous flange 38 on the end thereof adjacent tobase 18 for engaging the continuous margin of the proximalelement 26adjacent to its opening 28. Retainer 32 is preferably of a rigidmaterial which is not sensitive to the heat generated by the operationof bulb 20.

Each element 26 has a tab 40 integral therewith and projecting laterallyfrom the outer periphery thereof. Each tab 49 has an aperture 42therethrough into which a tool may be disposed. for applying anoutwardly directed force to the corresponding element 26. Preferably,tabs 40 of the elements 26 in stack 24 are staggered with respect toeach other as shown in FIG. 2 to facilitate the removal of elements 26one-by-one from stack 24. To this end, each element 26 is stamped on itsconvex face to provide projections 44 on its concave face as shown inFIG. 2. The projections 44 of one element 26 mates with and is receivedwithin the corresponding recesses 46 of an adjacent element 26, recesses46 being formed by the stamping operation. Hence, elements 26 arerestrained against rotation with respect to each other when the same arein the nested relationship shown in FIG. 1. Each element 26 has alight-reflecting surface 48 which reflects light in a directionoutwardly of bulb 20 when the element is adjacent to the latter. Whenthe proximal element 26 is removed from stack 24, the next adjacentelement 26 is in position for reflecting the light radiating from bulb20.

In use, stack 24 is coupled to the assembly defined by reflector member12 and bulb 20 by placing stack 24 within member 12 before base 18 isthreaded into socket 16. Retainer 32 is coupled to neck 36 of bulb 20;then base 18 is coupled with socket 16 so that flange 38 retains stack24 adjacent to member 12 as shown in FIG. 1.

When it is necessary to clean surface 48 of the outermost element 26,such element 26 is removed from stack 24 in lieu of cleaning its surface48. This is accomplished by inserting a tool or the like in the aperture42 of its tab 40 and then applying an outwardly directed force to thetab. This causes the corresponding element to be removed from stack 24inasmuch as it is of yieldable material and slots 36 thereof permit itto be deformed under the influence of the force applied at tab 40thereof. Such deformation of the outermost element 26 in no way affectsthe next adjacent element 26 and surface 48 of this lastmentionedelement then becomes the reflector for the light from bulb 20immediately upon removal of the firstmentioned outermost element 26. Nodamaging stresses are placed on bulb 20 by application of the force totabs 40 inasmuch as elements 26, by virtue of their yieldablecharacteristics, deform and thereby pass around flange 38 before sleeve34 imparts any relatively large stress to neck 36.

As soon as the elements 26 of stack 24 are depleted, a new stack 24 isinserted in place and the elements 26 thereof are removed oneby-one inthe foregoing manner as required. Member 12 provides an effectivebacking or support for stack 24 at all times so that elements 26effectively retain their shapes so as to be in condition for reflectinglight radiated from bulb 20 when the elements are successively at theoutermost end of stack 24 adjacent to bulb 20.

By the use of stack 24, surface 22 of reflector member 12 is notrequired to be cleaned at periodic intervals as has been requiredheretofore. Fixture 10 may be spaced a considerable distance above thefloor while still utilizing reflectors 26 inasmuch as a long tool can beused to strip or otherwise remove individual reflectors 26 one-by-onefrom stack 24. It will be appreciated that the elements 26 may assumeany desired configuration whereby the same may correspond to the shapeof virtually any type of lighting fixture, the particular configurationshown in the drawing being merely illustrative.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a lighting fixture having a light source and a reflector member inlight-reflecting relationship to said source, the improvement of whichcomprises:

a plurality of reflector elements disposed in nested relationship toeach other;

means for positioning said elements in light-reflecting relationship tosaid source and disposed to permit the elements to be removed one-by-onetherefrom; means on each element respectively for removing the same fromthe elements remaining on said member, said removing means including atab secured to and extending outwardly from the periphery of thecorresponding element; and

aligment means on said elements for nesting the latter in respectivepositions to stagger the tabs thereof, whereby to facilitate the removalof each element from the means including a recess in one face of eachelement and a projection on the opposite face thereof, the projection ofone element being received within the recess of an adjacent element whenthe elements are in said nested relationship.

2. A lighting fixture comprising:

a reflector member having a light-reflecting surface; a

light bulb having a neck and a base;

means releasably mounting the base of said bulb on said reflector memberwith the major portion of the bulb being spaced outwardly from saidsurface of the member;

a stack of reflector elements disposed in nested relationship to eachother and in a location between said major portion of the bulb and saidsurface with the outermost element in a light-reflecting dispositionrelative to said bulb, each element having an opening, the neck of saidbulb extending through the openings of said elements; and

means carried by said bulb and engageable with the outermost element forretaining said stack at said location and to permit the elements to beremoved one by one from the stack.

3. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim 2, wherein is provided meanson each element respectively for removing the same from the stack.

4. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim 2, wherein is provided a tabon each element respectively for removing the latter from the stack, andwherein is provided alignement means on said stack for orienting theelements thereof in positions with the tabs of said elements instaggered relationship to each other.

5. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim 2, wherein said retainingmeans includes a flange carried by the neck of said bulb and extendinglaterally therefrom.

6. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim 2, wherein said retainingmeans includes a sleeve on the neck of said bulb and provided with acontinuous, element-engaging flange extending laterally therefrom.

7. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim 6, wherein each of saidelements is formed from a yieldable material, and is provided with aslot extending thereinto from said opening thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,813,102 1/1931Vogel 240-403 2,067,416 5/ 1931 Rolph 240-103 2,907,873 5/1956 Smith240-103 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. WYNDHAM M. FRYE, AssistantExaminer.

1. IN A LIGHTING FIXTURE HAVING A LIGHT SOURCE AND A REFLECTOR MEMBER INLIGHT-REFLECTING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID SOURCE, THE IMPROVEMENT OF WHICHCOMPRISES: A PLURALITY OF REFLECTOR ELEMENTS DISPOSED IN NESTEDRELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER; MEANS FOR POSITIONING SAID ELEMENTS INLIGHT-REFLECTING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID SOURCE AND DISPOSED TO PERMIT THEELEMENTS TO BE REMOVED ONE-BY-ONE THEREFROM; MEANS ON EACH ELEMENTRESPECTIVELY FOR REMOVING THE SAME FROM THE ELEMENTS REMAINING ON SAIDMEMBER, SAID REMOVING MEANS INCLUDING A TAB SECURED TO AND EXTENDINGOUTWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE CORRESPONDING ELEMENT; AND ALIGNMENTMEANS ON SAID ELEMENTS FOR NESTING THE LATTER IN RESPECTIVE POSITIONS TOSTAGGER THE TABS THEREOF, WHEREBY TO FACILITATE THE REMOVAL OF EACHELEMENT FROM THE MEANS INCLUDING A RECESS IN ONE FACE OF EACH ELEMENTAND A PROJECTION ON THE OPPOSITE FACE THEREOF, THE PROJECTION OF ONEELEMENT BEING RECEIVED WITHIN THE RECESS OF AN ADJACENT ELEMENT WHEN THEELEMENTS ARE IN SAID NESTED RELATIONSHIP.